764 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



to shield them from the elements save the 

 twigs and a few leaves above them. 1 have a 

 queen in my yard now whose mother's colony 

 thus made a home in a grapevine, secured by 

 a bee-keeping friend in New Jersey. 



A LIVING BEE-HIVE. 



BY LOUIS SCHERFF. 



Dhey musty supposed me someding like dat; 

 For a good deal quicker as you can . ay " scat " 

 Dat whole shwarm dook der very first chance, 

 Unt movet up into der legs of mine bants; 



I alvays hat a great bassion for pees — 



Ya, much more as for lager unt Iyimburger cheese. 



I shpent, von time a whole lots of money 



For two hifes o' pees vot gif lots o' honey. 



I pought poxes for de new joung shwarm 



Vot gomes out in der shpring. vents warm ; 



Unt ven I hifed 'em it seemt efry von pee 



Hat daken a special liken to me. 



Vy ! somdimes da vould all ofer me grawl, 



Unt nefer vould shting me much at all. 



But der las' dime I vant to dell you 'bout, 



I vos, like Sullivan, gombletely nockt out. 



It vos in der early bait of der mont of Shuly, 



Unt der vedder vas very varm unt diy. 



Dat day I vos shoost goin' up town. 



Ven a shwarm of pees hat seddled down 



On de lower limb of a mable dree 



Vot shtoot on de lawn of Mrs. Free. 



My first imbuls vos to get me a hife 



For to put 'em in, und dus deprive 



Someboty else from daken 'em in, 



Aldough I knew 'twould be a big sin 



To take efen so much as a shwarm of pees 



Vot in Shuly isn't vort two fleas. 



Yust as I vos apout homeward to turn, 



Mrs. Free came out und said dey ver hern. 



" All ride, Mrs. Free," said I politely. " Dat vill do. 



Vill you be so kind und let me hife 'em for you?" 



"Indeet, my friend, I could hardly ask it." 



" Nefer mind, Mrs. Free ; pring me a pushel pasket 



Unt a nice glean pox, or a pee-hife. 



Den I shake 'em in de basket, unt den drive 



Dat whole shwarm in de pox. Dat vay can be seen 



If dose pees got some drones, unt also a queen." 



De pasket unt hife ver soon on hant, 



Unt mit dat pasket in von arm, dook mine shtant 



Unter dat limb vhere dose pees hung, 



Unt shook 'em in, mitout pein' shtung; 



Ven, insteat in de pasktt. on trough dhey did roll 



For dat pasket poddom hat a big hole 



Vot in mine hurry I hat not seen, 



Unt let dem pees trough shlick unt glean. 



I vos poody mutch supprised indeet, 



Ven I saw dat hole shwarm down on my feet. 



Do you know dat a pee vill alvays strife 



Ven it's down to crawl up into de hife? 





WStfl fl if I 



% 



m 



Waft fc : vf 



- 



Unt as der vedder vos very varm unt fair, 

 I hat on only dat von tingle bair. 

 Bout a dozen of vomen from dat neighborhoot 

 By de fence unt on de sidevalk shtood; 

 Some on de lawn, unt under de trees, 

 Vatching me hife dot shw'nn of pees. 

 Ven dhey saw mine awful perdickament, 

 Not von a helpin hant vould lent; 



But all of 'em cried out in fright unt fear, 



" Mr. S., don't you dake your bants off here." 



To arcu de case, I saw vould do no good. 



So I shtarted for home as quick as I could ; 



Vitch, as luck vould haf it, vos only half a square, 



Else I vould a died before I'd a got dare; 



For efry shtep ! dook my bants vould shqueese 



Poody hart against dat shwarm of pees. 



Den dey vould sent der shtings into mine skin, 



Unt I'd shump like a poy on a pent pin. 



